CARACAS, Monday March 15, 2010 | Update
Energy
The level of Guri hydroelectric dam were found on Monday morning at 252.54 above sea level, that is 15 centimeters of decline despite government measures, Argenis Carvajal, operations monitor at the dam, reported.
"Should we have not taken any measures, we would be undoubtedly one and a half meter below the present dam level and would be declining 20-22 centimeters on average," Carvajal explained.
He said that the dam was generating "approximately 5,000 MW on average and pumping from 4,700 to 4,800 cubic meters per second."
In the absence of any steps to save energy, "there would be around 5,700-6,000 cubic meters, which would drastically accelerate the declining rate. This means that we would have to withdraw from the domestic electricity grid approximately 5,000 MW, that is, two and a half cities like Caracas without power supply."
02:57 PM. HEAVY RAINS. Venezuelan Executive Vice-President Elias Jaua reported that the government is designing plans to support farmers, cattlemen and peasants of the state of Mérida who have been hit by heavy rains that have caused crop losses.